[nagdu] docking and cropping dogs

Julie J julielj at windstream.net
Fri Feb 5 02:03:59 UTC 2010 

Monty is a Boxer and lab mix.  He has natural ears that are very much like 
lab ears.   Well, they could look like natural Boxer ears too, but I have 
never seen a Boxer with natural ears so I can't compare.

His tail was docked.  No clue why the tail would have been docked in a mixed 
breed dog.  He does wag it quite exuberantly at the slightest provocation. 
I think if it were long he could take out whole swarms of toddlers, contents 
of coffee tables and quite possibly break some knee caps. LOL  If I were 
doing the choosing though, I would not dock either ears or tail.

Julie

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Linda Gwizdak" <linda.gwizdak at cox.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 4:22 PM
Subject: [nagdu] docking and cropping dogs


> Hi Tami,
> Yeah, you and me both!  I've been to local dog shows and watched the 
> German shepherds walk.  Their hips were so weak and angulated that they 
> looked like walking in a squat position - not attractive!  I think the 
> show people like the curvy, flowing lines the dogs have with that 
> angulation.
>
> Working shepherds have a straight topline and strong hips - as produced at 
> guide dog schools.  Seeing Eye's shepherds have a nice straight topline 
> and they have good hips for the work.  Those Best-In-Show shepherds 
> couldn't hold up to a good working shepherd worth a diddle.
>
> It's the same for the pug-nosed breeds. They are bred with such severe 
> shortened noses that they can't breathe right!  that's why you hear that 
> labored breathing from Boxers, Pugs, Bulldogs - English and French ones. 
> These people seem to want to recreate dogs in the images they want whether 
> it is healthy for the dog or not.
>
> Take ear cropping and tail docking - both of which are illegal in the 
> British Isles.  Dock the tail and you take aaway a dog's full ability to 
> do doggie communication to avoid fights and misunderstandings with each 
> other. Crop the ears and the ear is left open to all kinds of foreign 
> debris. Natural flop ears are hairless while natural erect ears have lots 
> of hair in the canal to keep stuff out.  Very sad.
>
> More people are chosing to leave ears and tails natural.  What are the 
> ears and tails like for those of you using Boxer and Dobie guide dogs?  My 
> friend, who had a Dobie from Pilot in the 1980s that had both docked tail 
> and cropped ears.  Does Pilot still crop ears or have the puppy raisers do 
> this? It would be so nice if America stopped allowing this to be done to 
> dogs.  they are beautiful as they come into this world!
>
> Lyn and Landon
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Tamara Smith-Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 10:07 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog names
>
>
>> Linda,
>>
>> Yeah, every time I used see the Best of Breed GSD in the televised dog
>> shows, I would get so mad!  Why do that to such a great breed?  How is it
>> even attractive?
>>
>> I've been seeing some really great, really straight young shepherds at 
>> the
>> dog park we go to.  I like the more level top line much better!
>>
>> So maybe the breed is heading back toward a healthier hip angle.  I hope 
>> so!
>>
>> Tami Smith-Kinney
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of Linda Gwizdak
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 11:54 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog names
>>
>> Marion,
>> I wonder if GDF will encounter the same problems with German shepherds as
>> GDB?  It's a shame how this beautiful breed has been ruined by the 
>> show-dog
>> crowd!
>>
>> I know aboout the "pressure" of being the first one in something. In my 
>> work
>>
>> with the Humane Society, I am the first disabled person with their 
>> service
>> dog to join the Pet-Assisted Therapy Program.  they've had lots of
>> puppy-raisers and their service dog pups, but not someone like me. they 
>> are
>> very happy with my and Landon's performance of the job that another 
>> program
>> wants me to join them!
>>
>> You'll do fine - and the new shepherd guide!
>>
>> Lyn and Landon
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Marion & Martin" <swampfox1833 at verizon.net>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 10:08 AM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog names
>>
>>
>>> Linda,
>>>    GDF hasn't trained Shepherds in more than 20 years. Because I have so
>>> much experience with the breed, they are re-introducing them with me as
>>> their first handler. Oh, the pressure! (smile)
>>>
>>> Marion
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Linda Gwizdak" <linda.gwizdak at cox.net>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 12:54 PM
>>> Subject: [nagdu] Dog names
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hi Marion,
>>>> I didn't think Guide Dog Foundation used German shepherds anymore. The
>>>> name "Sarge" seems to fit a shepherd more than it would a Lab.  I have 
>>>> a
>>>> friend at the Naval Medical Center who has a Lab named "Scout".
>>>>
>>>> My dog, Landon is named for Michael Landon actor in the old TV series,
>>>> "Bonanza" - Little Joe who was always fighting!  The actor Landon was
>>>> also in "Little House on the Prairie" and I think "Stairway to Heaven".
>>>> He was a more mature and peaceful charactor on those two shows! I 
>>>> enjoyed
>>
>>>> the first two shows!
>>>>
>>>> My old dogs were Heidi, Charm (and she was!), Brownie (my Mom said for
>>>> her brown eyes - she was black!), Olivia, Hanna, Janelle, Jacob, and 
>>>> now
>>>> Landon. I liked all the names and didn't feel the need to change them.
>>>>
>>>> Lyn and Landon
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "Marion & Martin" <swampfox1833 at verizon.net>
>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 6:37 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Interesting Names Re: guide dog book about young
>>>> person
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Rox,
>>>>>    When I first heard my future guide dog's name, my first impression
>>>>> was, "Oh, no! That will need to change!" However, the more I have
>>>>> learned about him, the more his name seems to fit him! He is a big
>>>>> German Shepherd,weighing in at 91 lbs. about three weeks ago and not 
>>>>> yet
>>
>>>>> 2 years old. He has an all black face and gold eyes! His name is 
>>>>> Sarge!
>>>>>    Now, I'm a fairly liberal person and would consider myself a peace
>>>>> activist, so the name seemed a little out-of-place for me. At the same
>>>>> time, my first trainer was also the Founder and Executive Director of
>>>>> the school from which I recieved my first three guide dogs. He is now
>>>>> the Director of Training (I think they call it Training Officer) for 
>>>>> the
>>
>>>>> Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. His name? Well, Mike Sargeant, 
>>>>> often
>>
>>>>> called "Sarge"! When I spoke with him the last time, he referred to my
>>>>> dog as "my namesake"! Mike is a great guy and I count him as a close
>>>>> colleague, so I couldn't change Sarge's name now! BTW, Mike told me he
>>>>> thought of changing Sarge's name himself just to rattle my cage! To
>>>>> what? Well, he said he thought of "ACB"! Nice guy, huh? And I call him 
>>>>> a
>>
>>>>> friend? (big grin)
>>>>>
>>>>> fraternally yours,
>>>>> Marion
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>> From: "The Pawpower Pack" <pawpower4me at gmail.com>
>>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 8:45 PM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Interesting Names Re: guide dog book about young
>>>>> person
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> When I adopted Laveau from the humane society, her name was Marge. 
>>>>>> That
>>
>>>>>> had to go because... it just did.  It didn't take her long to switch
>>>>>> and now when I say or sign her name she wags like crazy.  She was 
>>>>>> only
>>>>>> a year old and I don't know how long she had been stuck with the 
>>>>>> horrid
>>
>>>>>> moniker of Marge.  No offense to anyone with that name but it just
>>>>>> wasn't for her.  Also I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and everyone would
>>>>>> have called her aunt Marge.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Rox and the Kitchen Bitches
>>>>>> Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD. and Laveau Guide Dog, CGC.
>>>>>> "It's wildly irritating to have invented something as revolutionary 
>>>>>> as
>>>>>> sarcasm, only to have it abused by amateurs." -- Christopher Moore
>>>>>> pawpower4me at gmail.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Windows Live Only: Brisomania at hotmail.com
>>>>>> AIM: Brissysgirl Yahoo: lillebriss
>>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>>
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